Acts of Injustice: A collection of Rumbaugh Letters

Donated to The History Museum of Hood River County in 1977 are a series of letters that Hood River native Nora Rumbaugh kept. The letters are from friends located in Pinedale Center and Tule Lake camp. See page A3 for more.

N. Hamada

B-9-Apt. 2 1st St.

W.C.C.A.

Pinedale, Calif.

(postcard dated May 16, 4 pm, 1942)

Dear Friend,

Everything is fine down here, though we are maybe 1500 miles away from home and have nothing to kick about yet. Hope you are doing fine around my old place. Please write and let us hear the news from home.

Best wishes to everyone.

N. Hamada and Family

N. Hamada

Block B-Barrack 9 Pinedale Assembly Center

July 7, 1942

Dear Mr. Rumbaugh,

How are you and the family getting along on the farm? I hope everything is okay and running along smoothly.

I am writing to inquire about the trunks and other things we asked you to send. Have you sent them off as yet or are they still at home? If they are still there, don’t bother to send them right away. We expect to be transferred soon to Tule Lake, so if you have not sent them as yet, it would be more convenient to have them sent to Tule Lake.

Are you still picking strawberries or are you finished? I hope you got a good crop and a good price for them. Did you have trouble finding pickers?

How is our dog, Bob? I trust you are taking good care of him. He is and was and always will be, the best dog we ever had.

It has been awfully hot here this past week, so hot that three or four nights we couldn’t sleep.

Well, so much for this time. If you haven’t sent the packages, don’t send them.

Sincerely,

N. Hamada

July 12, 1942

Dear Mr. Rumbaugh,

How is everything? We are all fine, here. We have been going around doing what we always do, but recently have been getting news that we will be moving to Tule Lake in Northern California. This camp is located just below the Oregon Calif. Border so that we will be coming about halfway home if everything goes as planned.

We have not as yet received the trunks and the packages so if you have not yet sent it maybe it would be alright to keep it for awhile since we will be getting closer to home.

Before I go any farther I would like to thank Mrs. Rumbaugh for the flowers that she sent to my mother. Gee it sure was a fine sight, since we don’t see many flowers where we are. I certainly was surprised to see the flowers and how fresh they still were when they arrived.

Here in Pinedale Assembly Center, inside the fence, there is no green thing growing, except where people have gotten busy and planted things, all you see is houses and dry dirt and sand. When the wind blows it sure is dusty down here.

Enough of that. Say what are you doing these days? I suppose the thinning is just about done is it not, or is it too early yet.

It seems like I have forgotten when or how you grow or thin apples. You know I loose touch of this down here since every day is just the same as the one before.

How is the crop this year? Did the frost do a lot of damage? I hear in some spots they are pretty hard hit and other places not so bad. How did the strawberry crop come out? Did you have pretty good tonnage this year and plenty of pickers or not? Well since it is getting late I will close now and not bother you since I suppose you are pretty busy now. By the way, I wish you would write me and tell me how everything is coming.

How’s Nick and Hope.

Well, till next time,

Sincerely,

Minoru Hamada

M Hamada

Barrack T6704 Apr. 2

Tule Lake W.R.A.

July 24, 1942

Dear Mr. Rumbaug,

Well, how do you do? Thanks again for sending us the package and the flowers. How is everything going, gee you know I don’t know what kind of work you’d be doing up home. It seems like I’ve been here about two or three years but I’ve only been away from home a little over two months. I sure miss our good old Hood River Valley.

Well, we are now in Tule Lake, Cal. About 35 miles south of Klamath Falls Ore. So we’re not so far from home any more. I sure hope we can come back there soon. How’s Bob, my dog, is he still watching the house. I hope he is still doing his duties as watch dog.

Oh yes, on our way into this Camp we went into Klamath Falls and then came here so we saw Oregon again and it sure is much better than California.

In Camp here there is something over 15000 people, it has about 70 blocks of about 15 barracks, is about 2 miles one way and a mile & half the other way in the housing alone.

Well take it easy—and the best of luck to you Mr. Rumbaugh & till next time Sincerely,

M Hamada

Tule Lake, Cal.

Bar 6704 Apt E

WRA Center

September 24, 1942

Dear Mr. Rumbaugh,

How are you, & family?

I hope you are all in fine health. We here are all fine.

Though somewhat late, I wish to thank Mrs. Rumbaugh for sending us those flowers. I am sure my mom appreciates her actions very much.

From what I read in the Hood River papers, I see that you are about ready to start in on your Anjou crop. Also, that the labor situation there is in a pretty mess. Gee, I know that anyone of us here in Tule Lake, would be glad to go help out in the harvesting of these crops in our Hood River Valley. I know many of them here would be willing to go without hesitation.

How was the Bartlett crop this year in our orchards? I hope you had the best of crops that ever came from them, knowing that prices this year are very favorable.

I was hoping the government would become more lenient and let us out to help in Hood River but being as that is in the defense zone no. I suppose there isn’t much chance.

Right now we are having warmer weather here and according to the papers I see that Hood River is having good weather also.